Don't Let Me Down
by soundfanatic
Summary: Tommy and Jude escape for a day of lighthearted fun, but issues arise that must be dealt with. Will the day end in disaster, or will they be able to work it out? /Disclaimer: Mild Language/
1. Chapter 1

Alright guys! I'm really new to this and still a little nervous. I posted this story up on DLS and got really good feedback, so I decided to try it out here. Let me know what you guys think and I'll be sure to post the remaining two parts within the next week. Thanks!

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**Don't Let Me Down**

"Tommy! How much farther is it?" That man could be so mysterious about things sometimes. He just looked back at me and grinned.

"What, tired already Harrison?" There's that devilish gleam in his eyes that makes my heart beat ten times faster. I'm surprised that he can't already hear it trying to break its way out of my chest.

"No. I'm just anxious to see what was so important that you had to drag me out into the middle of the woods for." I was starting to get impatient although I didn't mind the fact that we were completely alone. _Oh the possibilities… Stop it Jude! He's your producer! And older than you! And I'm starting to run out of excuses…_ This is going to be harder than I thought. I mean, how I restrain myself from jumping him and attacking him with my lips is a mystery to me. Just look at him! Can you say perfection? Besides, after the disaster known as my sixteenth birthday, I don't think that we'll be crossing that line again anyway. Oh yeah, there _was_ that time at the Vinyl Palace, but that doesn't count. It wasn't a kiss, it was humiliation.

"Just keep up and you'll see." Why does he have to be so frustrating and amazing at the same time?

We kept walking in silence for the next five minutes with the exception of the foliage crunching beneath our feet. I was looking down at my tattered Converse to keep from tripping and falling when I walked right into Tommy who had stopped moving. Of course I was the one to fall on my butt with a thump while he barely even budged. Curse him being all big and manly and strong and totally gorgeous… _I wonder what he would look like with his shirt off…_ _Ah! Stop doing that!_

"Tommy! What the heck? Why did you-" But before I could finish, I looked up and saw that we had reached our destination. He had led me straight to a small cabin on the edge of a giant pond. It was breathtakingly beautiful. The sun was reflecting off the water and I felt like I was dreaming. I looked up at Tommy completely stunned. "How did you find this place?"

He faced me and shrugged. "I grew up around here. I was exploring the area one day when I came across this old abandoned lodge." He grabbed my hands and pulled me up. "After that day I would always come here when I needed to escape. Kind of like you and your rehearsal space." He gave me a knowing smile that made my insides melt. I returned his smile and I probably looked like an idiot in the process. He just has a way of making me act like a fool. I noticed that my hands were still in his and I pulled them back as though they were on fire. I cleared my throat and started to dust my pants off, avoiding eye contact at all costs. I couldn't let him see that I was embarrassed although he could probably tell anyway. It's scary how well he knows me. I think it's because we spend so much time together working or goofing off. Working with Tommy can be so stressful sometimes, but it's worth it. _Oh crap! Work!_

"Wait, does Darius know we're here? 'Cause we have to be at the studio soon and I'm blaming you if we get in trouble." I was mid-panic when Tommy just threw his head back and laughed.

"Breathe Jude! Darius knows and he's cool with it." I could feel myself relax after I heard that._ Wow, I didn't know I was so tense. I really need to work on that. Hey, I can think of a few relaxing things I could do, especially with Tommy…_ _There I go again! _

"Okay good." I sighed loudly and tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear. "So I'm guessing the reason why he even let us have the day off is because you told him that we would be working on a song in the process. Am I right?" I stood with my hands on my hips and shifted my feet.

Tommy smirked playfully at me. "Yeah, but I know you won't mind because you have me all to yourself." _Oh Tommy, if you only knew how right you are._

I rolled my eyes and tried to hide the smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "Shut up Quincy."

I was surprised when he took my hand and led me around to the other side of the cabin. I was even more surprised when I saw what was laid out before me underneath the shelter of a giant tree.

"Tommy! You didn't!" I had my mouth hanging open in a mixture of shock and excitement.

"No, Kwest did." He said ever so casually. I just looked at him and laughed, thinking that he was joking.

"Alright, what's next, a ride on a Ferris Wheel?" I joked. Tommy shrugged. "You actually have a picnic all set up for us?"

He looked away and shifted. "I know it's cheesy and everything-"

I cut him off feeling a little guilty. "No, I actually think it's really sweet."

He looked up at me and his sparkling blue eyes connected with mine. A smile crept on his face and I just about fainted. "I hope you came hungry. I have lots of snacks waiting for us."

"Quincy, you should know me better than that. I'm always hungry." I followed him with weak knees and sat on the blanket. There was a large basket filled with all kinds of fruits and vegetables, and off to the side were different kinds of tarts with whipped cream on top. There was even another basket filled with sumo-sandwiches. I laughed thinking that maybe Tommy wasn't lying about Kwest setting it up.

"Kwest really did set this up, didn't he?" I looked at Tommy for confirmation.

He ran a hand through his messy hair and almost looked sheepish... almost. "Yeah, he took off before we showed up."

I just shook my head in amusement. "What did you have on him? Or did he lose a bet?"

Tommy laughed. "Actually, it's a funny story. But it's one we'll have to save for later, because right now we need to be focusing on eating and writing." He stood up and started to walk away.

I stared at his retreating back confused and shouted, "Um, hello? Where are you going? What happened to eating and writing a new song?"

He turned back to me and smirked. "We need the guitars I have stashed in my cabin. Or did you want to play the imaginary one you seem to have brought?"

I rolled my eyes and called out, "Cute!"

"Yeah, that's why you love me." I blushed severely at his choice of words, but he was already too far away to notice.

As he was retrieving the guitars, I lay back on the soft picnic blanket and popped a handful of grapes into my mouth. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the cool breeze that was lightly drifting over my skin. Sighing with content, I felt myself drifting off into nothingness…

"Juuuude." _That voice… needs to shut up._ "Jude, time to wake up." _Tommy?_ I opened my eyes enough to see a pair of blue ones barely inches above me.

"Mmmm… Hows about you give me ten more minutes?" I mumbled while rolling over onto my stomach, burying my head in my arms.

"Girl, you've already been asleep for an hour. How much more sleep could you possibly want when we have a song to work on? Besides, I've already let you sleep far too long. I should've woken you up fifty minutes ago, but you looked so adorable all passed out."

"You know that this is entirely your fault. You just had to make me walk and get all tired." I huffed.

"Oh believe me, there are so many different ways I can tire you out worse than today." I didn't have to open my eyes to know that he had a satisfied smirk on his face.

Yeah, that slave driver could hold me hostage in the booth for hours until I was ready to pass out… _Wait. Is it just me, or did he just insinuate something? I'm not hearing things, am I? If I did hear him correctly, I'm sure he didn't mean it like that. Did he?_ I take a quick peek at him and sure enough he has the smuggest look on his face. Shoot. He saw me. Now he knows I'm fully awake. _Whatever, I'm over it._ I push myself up off of my stomach and sit cross-legged in front of Tommy who is staring at me.

"What? Do I have drool on my face or something?" I asked confusedly.

He laughed and reached for the guitar by his side. "No, your face is fine Harrison." He tilted his head a little and I could tell he was fighting back a smile. "But now that you mention it…"

"Ass!" I pretended to get upset and grabbed the nearest item to throw at him. It turns out that I had seized a bread roll and it hit him squarely in the forehead. I started laughing as a look of shock took over his striking features.

"Oh you just asked for it!" Tommy tossed aside the guitar he was holding on to and launched himself across the blanket at me. The next thing I knew, I was on my back being mercilessly tickled.

"Tommy! Aaahahahaaa! Stop it!" I could barely breathe and my limbs were flailing around as I tried to get him to ease up his assault, but he wouldn't.

"Say it Harrison!" His warm and calloused fingers continued to dig into my sides making me laugh harder.

"Never!" I managed to shout, completely breathless.

"I won't stop until you say it!" Tommy was laughing too, probably from the way I must have looked. I'm sure my hair was a mess and my face was red from laughing so hard.

"Okay! Fine!" His hands stopped moving but never removed themselves from my sides. He was practically on top of me and I was well aware of our positions. I was practically on fire from the contact. My breaths were ragged and I barely squeaked out, "Tom Quincy is the greatest producer in the world… and his butt shaking abilities are unparalleled." I couldn't help but add that last part with a grin. I love messing with him sometimes. It's funny to see his reactions.

He just rolled his eyes, but I could tell it embarrassed him a little from the way he cleared his throat. "Ha-ha. Very funny Jude." He gave my torso a quick shake and pulled me into a sitting position. "Let's get to work on that song."

I brushed myself off and adjusted my wrinkled clothes before grabbing a tart to munch on. Tommy rested a guitar in his lap and started strumming as I continued to eat. When I didn't start to hum or sing along, he glanced up at me and looked away frustrated.

I noticed and defended myself saying, "You honestly can't expect me to work on an empty stomach."

He gave a frustrated sigh and grabbed a sandwich joining me.

I smirked victoriously. "So Quincy," I said in between bites, "do you take all your artists out for picnics?"

He swallowed his food and smiled playfully. "No, just the special ones."

"So I'm special?" I quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Well you're something else, _that's_ for sure." He looked away grinning.

"Don't make me throw this tart at you Quincy." I placed one hand on my hip and held a strawberry tart in the air with the other hand.

He turned back to me with a challenge in his eyes. "Do it. I _dare_ you."

_Silly boy. _He knows that I never back down from a dare, and maybe that's what he was going for because as soon as the tart left my hand he had already picked up his own ammunition and hurled it at me. It didn't take long until we were in a full-on food fight. As I was smearing whipped cream all over his face, he was stuffing slices of cucumber down the back of my shirt. We were grabbing random pieces of whatever was nearest and either throwing or smashing it into each other. It wasn't until we were completely covered head-to-toe in food that we fell over in a heap of laughter.

I had fallen on top of Tommy and we were smiling at each other like a bunch of idiots. I have no idea what possessed me to do the thing I did next, but before I could stop myself I leaned down and licked the strawberry from his cheek. I ran my tongue over my lips trying to get the last bits of whipped cream lingering there. "Strawberry suits you Quincy."

He immediately tensed and the energy between us changed. The smile fell from his face and he pushed me off of him. Getting up, he mumbled something about cleaning himself off and he stalked over towards the cabin. I was left sitting there dumbfounded. _What the hell?!_

I stood up and jogged over after him determined to find out why he was acting so weird. "Tommy! Wait!"

When I reached him I could tell he was pissed off, but I didn't know why. "Tommy! Could you just talk to me?"

He spun around scowling. "You can't just do something like that Jude! What the hell was that back there?"

_That's what this is about?_ "What? Tommy, I don't get what the big deal is." I furrowed my brows and crossed my arms in front of me.

He balled his fists at his sides. I realized that he was getting frustrated, and I didn't understand why. "Jude, you can't just _do_ that."

"Why not?!" His behavior confused me. Why was it bothering him so much?

He looked up and clenched his jaw. "Because it doesn't help the artist/producer relationship. It crossed a line that's there for a reason."

I could feel my whole body tense at his response. "And what would that reason be?" I challenged.

He looked my direction once more, but this time his icy blue eyes bore into mine with such intensity that I was almost knocked off my feet. "I think you know what that reason is Jude." With that he turned back around and entered the cabin, slamming the door behind him.

I was left standing there speechless while Tommy Quincy got to have the last word. I stomped back to the blanket and picked up the guitar lying next to it. I didn't care if I got food all over it. I had a song to write, with or without Tommy.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews guys! I'm glad you like it! This next little chapter is where things start to get interesting... You'll see...

I don't own Instant Star or the song used in this chapter, "Stop This Song (Lovesick Melody)" by Paramore.

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Still fuming, I sat down on a fallen tree's trunk at the edge of the pond. I pulled a pick out of my pocket and went to strum angrily on the guitar, but something stopped me. I couldn't tell what it was that was holding me back. Why wouldn't the words or the melody come to me? _Perfect timing to have writers block Jude!_ I told my thoughts to shut up and stop mocking me. It wasn't my fault that Quincy had to be a jerk. _He might be a jerk, but you're still going to run back to him. You always do._

I didn't want to love Tom Quincy, but I did. That's why I couldn't argue with my head this time. I sighed and thought about everything we had been through in the past year and a half. I almost lost him as my producer, but I convinced him to stay when we went to my grandparents' farm and wrote "It Could Be You" but not after he decided to kiss my sister. I was so angry at the both of them. They dated for two months and broke up because of something they wouldn't talk to me about. I had my theories about what caused their split, but the most logical reason I could think of was the fact that Sadie was a controlling cow. I silently thanked whatever higher being you want to name for that.

I reflected on the late nights we spent in the studio trying to get every note of every song perfect. His perfectionist ways would drive me insane, but it would be worth it to hear how amazing each of the songs turned out. That's why I needed him. He kept pushing me and making me better. He made everything about me better. I wanted to be better for him. But could I really make him love me by being better? If I could, where would that leave us? Where would that leave me and my career?

I felt my heart break just a little because it was then that I realized that he was right. He could never know how I really felt or it could ruin everything. I didn't want to be paired up with another producer because I couldn't control myself. That's why it was stupid of me to do what I did. It crossed the line that separates the professional friendship we're supposed to have from the relationship that I want us to have. That's why it was stupid to let myself fall for Tom Quincy.

_But then if he didn't feel anything for me why did he take me out here for a picnic? It's secluded and somewhat romantic… NO!_ I didn't want to put myself through that. I shook my head and pushed the thought from my mind as inspiration started to wash over me and my hands began to work again. I let the words flow freely from my mouth as I strummed fast and hard, creating a beautifully harsh sound.

_**I've gone too far to come back from here,  
but you don't have a clue  
You don't know what you do to me  
I've come too far to get over you,  
and you don't have a clue  
You don't know what you do to me**_

_**Can't someone stop this song,  
so I won't sing along  
Someone stop this song,  
so I won't sing**_

_**Your lovesick melody  
is gonna get the best of me tonight  
But you won't get to me if I don't sing**_

I knew that I had to get over Tommy or else I couldn't work with him any longer. I was going to torture myself for the rest of our career together if I didn't stop this infatuation or whatever it was. It was then that I made a resolution to be strictly professional. Tommy was going to be my producer and nothing more. I wouldn't let my feelings ruin everything.

I heard a noise behind me and turned to see Tommy walking towards me with his head down and his hands in his pockets. He had cleaned off most of the food particles from himself, while I still looked like the mess I am. _Great._ I turned back around to face the pond and tried to ignore the fact that my heart had started beating faster at the sight of him. I tried to take no notice of him as he sat down beside me and the guitar in my lap seemed like a good distraction. I didn't once acknowledge his presence or make eye contact, because if I did all of my resolve would be immediately forgotten.

I was so focused on my strumming that when he reached out and rested his hand on mine, it startled me. The strings were silenced. Instead of looking up at him like he wanted me to, I removed my hand from under his a little harshly and looked away. I heard him sigh next to me.

"Look, Jude, what happened back there... I didn't mean to yell at you like that." His voice was barely above a whisper and it was the only thing I found myself able to focus on. I could tell he meant it, but I was still upset. He continued, "I don't blame you if you're angry with me because I don't like the way I handled things either. I guess all I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry."

I couldn't take it. Tom Quincy was going to be the death of me. I couldn't sit there and let him walk back into my heart when I was so desperately trying to push him out. I decided that it's easier to be mad than heartbroken, so I got up and left without a word, guitar in hand. I figured that I'd clean myself up, since Tommy was obviously done, and stormed over towards the cabin.

I could hear Tommy calling after me, but I held my resolve to ignore him until he caught up to me and spun me around to face him. His hands were holding my shoulders in place so I couldn't turn away. My eyes met his and I instantly forgot my resolve just like I knew I would. I didn't want it to show, so I continued to glare.

Tommy has never liked my stubborn streak, so needless to say he was getting pretty irritated with me again. "Jude I'm trying to apologize to you! The least you could do is _say_ something!" His eyes searched mine and I couldn't think, let alone speak.

I had to break the eye contact in order to form a coherent sentence. My voice shook with 

emotion, "I don't know what you want me to say, and honestly I don't care." I scowled at him.

"Jude, please. Don't be like this." His demeanor softened as he shifted his feet. "I'm sorry. I just… you kinda caught me off guard. I shouldn't have…" He seemed to be searching for the right words to say. I tried to convince myself that it didn't matter what he said. "I shouldn't have brought you out here. It was… a _mistake_." He mumbled it more to himself than to me, but I still felt the immediate sting with the last word.

Anger flared up in me as I pulled myself from his grip. Before I could sensor the words, they came out in a huff. "_No_. The mistake was ever letting myself fall for you."

This time it was my turn to leave and slam the door behind me, leaving a stunned Tommy in my wake. I leaned up against the door as the realization of what I had just said hit me. _Shit! Well, there's no taking it back now._ I made my way through the small cabin and found the bathroom. I decided to take a shower and wash away the bits of food still clinging to me.

Carefully slipping off my Converse and socks, I tossed them aside and reached to turn the knob that let the stream fall freely from the wall. Leaving my clothes on, I stepped into the path of the warm water. I felt my clothes become heavy with the weight of the liquid they absorbed and decided to sit down. I don't know how long I sat there watching the water falling down the drain become clearer, but I was snapped out of my daze when I heard pounding on the door.

Shortly after, I heard Tommy's voice tinged with urgency and something else I couldn't name. "Open the door! We need to talk."

"No, _you_ need to talk. _I_ need you to leave me the hell alone!" I shouted back.

"Jude, you know I didn't mean it like that!" He was almost pleading with me. "Please just open the door and we can talk about it."

"Talk about what Tommy, me getting rejected by you again? Uh no thanks! I'd rather not!" I couldn't deal with him and the stinging feeling in my chest. I let the tears fall freely from my eyes. It didn't matter to me though because the shower washed it all away.

"Just open the damn door!" I could sense his frustration growing through the door separating us. I turned off the water and climbed out of the shower dripping condensation everywhere.

I crossed the bathroom angrily and stood with my arms crossed in front of my chest. "Give me one good reason why I should open this door and talk to you! Why should I Tommy?!" I yelled at the door.

I heard something like a growl from the other side before my entire world was turned upside down.

"_Because I love you!_"


	3. Chapter 3

Yay! I'm back with the final chapter of this fic! This is the conclusion/ resolution to everything, and I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

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I couldn't breathe. I felt like I had been rammed into by an eighteen wheeler. _Am I hallucinating? I can't be… but… What the hell just happened?_ My hands were shaking as I slowly pulled the door open. I was still dripping wet and probably looked ridiculous, but the most ridiculous thing was the look on Tommy's face. He was pale and his eyes looked about ready to pop out of his head. I didn't know if it was because of his outburst or the way my clothes were uncomfortably sticking to my body.

A million thoughts raced through my head. _Does he mean it? Ohmygod he just said the words I've been dying to hear! But does he mean it?! Ohmygod what do I do?_ After a few hours or seconds, I couldn't tell, I finally managed to pull myself back together. I tugged at my clothes self consciously and cleared my throat while stepping out into the hallway.

"Before we continue this conversation I need to know one thing." I barely recognized my own voice. It was strained and hardly above a whisper.

Tommy's skin had regained its color and his angular features resumed their normal positions. "Anything."

I was hesitant to ask my question, but I had to know. It was a matter of my sanity. "I need to know if you meant what you just said or if it was just a trick to get me to come out of the bathroom." Every nerve of my body was on edge just waiting for his answer. I had to steady myself against the wall.

His eyes averted downward and he gave a light laugh. "I wouldn't trick you. The truth is that I meant what I said." He paused to look up into my eyes and I could swear the earth stopped spinning. The corners of his lips tugged up in a half smile. "I love you Jude."

That was all I needed to hear before I grabbed Tommy and pulled him to me. Needless to say he was surprised at my aggressiveness. It showed all over his handsome face. I looked up from underneath my lashes and I felt the smile forming on my face. "Good. Because I love you too." The surprise, however, was immediately replaced with anxious amusement as realization of what was about to happen dawned on him.

My arms wrapped themselves around his shoulders as our lips connected. The sensations coursing through my body were enough to make my knees go weak. Luckily, Tommy had me pinned against the wall so I couldn't move. I latched on to him even tighter for fear that he might let me go and it would all end. I needed him with me like this. I loved feeling his large hands roaming my sides and finally pulling my hips against his. Our kisses became more intense and my hands worked their way to the base of his neck. My fingers roamed through his hair and I swore I heard him moan. I smiled inwardly because my lips were too preoccupied to do it themselves.

Tommy pulled me away from the wall and I wrapped my legs around his waist. With our lips still attached, we made our way to the couch in the main room. Tommy sat down allowing me to settle in his lap. We pulled back for oxygen, our breaths equally labored. I rested my forehead against his as I slid my hands down to his chest. I savored how he felt beneath my palms, all strength and heat. His hands were rested on my hips and his thumbs traced circles on my sides. We just stayed there for what seemed like forever, still trying to wrap our heads around what had just happened between us.

I finally broke the silence after our breathing returned to normal. "Tommy?"

His eyes opened and met mine instantly. "Yeah?"

"Could we just… lay here together for a while?" I asked nervously.

His swollen lips curved into a smile. "Sure." Looking me up and down he chuckled and added, "But first we might want to change our clothes." I was suddenly aware that my clothes were still soaking wet. Tommy sure had a way of making me forget myself.

Climbing off of him, I could feel my face get hot from embarrassment. "Um… Do you have anything I could change into?"

"Yeah, come with me." He took my hand and led me to the only bedroom the lodge had. I took in my surroundings for the first time and noticed that although it didn't have much furniture, the cabin was very warm and inviting. Tommy rummaged through a dresser that was leaning up against the far wall and pulled out two sets of pajamas. Tossing a set to me, I noticed that the two sets matched. I smirked and headed to the door.

Looking back over my shoulder I called, "I'm just gonna go change in the bathroom and hang my stuff up to dry." Turning back around, I padded down the hall and locked the door behind me. I quickly stripped all my clothing off and hung it all on the shower curtain rod. I pulled the dry pajamas on and even though they were a little baggy, I found that they were the most comfortable things I had ever worn. Not only that, they also smelled like Tommy. I closed my eyes and inhaled the scent. I could never get tired of the mixture of his cologne and the natural smell of him. I unlocked the door and walked back out to the main room to find Tommy already lounging on the couch.

He looked up at me smiling and patted the space of cushion right next to him, signaling for me to join him. There wasn't much room on the couch so I wound up lying on top of him again. I rested my head on his chest and listened to the sound of his heartbeat. It was still beating fast, like mine. His arms wrapped around my back and held me against him. Closing my eyes and sighing with content, I felt like nothing could bring me down from the high I was feeling. I snuggled into him more as he began to rub my back.

His voice resonated in the silence as the vibrations in his chest tickled my cheek. "After you left me completely stunned back there, I had some time to pull myself together." One of his hands began to play with my hair as he ran his fingers through the soft, still damp curls. "At first, I started to freak out because I saw how you were trying to distance yourself from me, and I couldn't lose you." I felt his chest fall as he sighed. "That's when it hit me. It wouldn't have bothered me so much if I didn't feel something for you, something stronger than what I had tried to reduce my feelings down to."

I opened my eyes lazily and propped myself up on him. I silently urged him to continue, giving him my full attention. "God, I'm so sorry I'm such an idiot Jude." Pain reflected in his eyes and I wanted nothing more than to take it all away. I brought one of my hands to his rough cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into my touch.

"Hey. It's okay. We're here now and that's all that matters." I reassured him. His eyelids flew open and his gaze became intense.

"No, Jude, _I was an idiot_." He said it as though I didn't understand completely, and I have to admit that I kind of didn't understand. "I don't regret where we are now, I just hate how we got here. I tried to deny all of my feelings for you, and in the process I hurt you. I know that kiss on your sixteenth birthday meant as much, if not more, to you as it did to me." 

Tommy reached out and brushed some hair away from my face. There was guilt etched in his expression.

"I freaked out because I didn't know why it meant so much to me. I told myself it was wrong to get involved with you like that. I made you say that it never happened because I was a coward. I remember how terrible I felt. I don't think I can even imagine the pain I must have put you through. I still did it even after I saw what happened with Shay." He was beating himself up and I could sense it. "I wouldn't even acknowledge the jealousy I felt when I saw you with him or the relief when you two broke up. Yet, I could play with your feelings when I wasn't even sure of my own." I just laid there as I listened to him laugh bitterly. "See? I was the biggest asshole ever."

I didn't have anything to say to that. Instead of saying anything I pushed myself up, took his face in my hands, and placed a light, lingering kiss on his lips. I pulled back to see that he was smiling happily instead of wearing the frown he had on seconds before.

"How do you know exactly what to do to make everything better?" He asked clearly with amazement.

I just smiled and playfully said, "Oh, you know, it's because I'm just awesome like that."

Snuggling back into his arms, I heard him laugh. "Alright Harrison, I'll give you that one."

Tilting my head up to look at him, a thought dawned on me. I was still a little nervous although I didn't know why. Tommy loved me. We were finally together, weren't we? I needed confirmation. "Wait, so does this mean we're together, or whatever…?" I trailed off searching for an answer.

He cocked his head, amused at my uncertainty, and sighed loudly as if he were debating the thought in his head. "I _guess_ we're together… or whatever." He was teasing me and wearing the most mischievous grin.

I feigned offense and smacked him in the chest. He just laughed seeing that he got the response he wanted from me. "I'm kidding Jude! I would love for you to be my girlfriend."

I scrunched my nose at him. "That sounds so weird coming from you." I giggled and mused, "Tom Quincy, playboy extraordinaire, settles down with a serious girlfriend."

A pensive expression on his face, he rebutted, "Yeah, but if you think about it I really haven't been in the tabloids as much because I really haven't partying as much." He smiled and nudged me. "I think you had something to do with it. You were always keeping me at the studios late and whatnot."

"Ah but you know you loved it." I grinned. "Actually, now that I think about it, you hadn't really dated much either. What's with that?"

Tommy got serious for a second and genuinely smiled with a sparkle in his eye. "It lost the appeal once every girl became not interesting enough or not pretty enough."

"Why's that?" I asked, a little lost.

"They were never you." He stated simply.

I could feel my throat begin to close up. "Stop that!" I laughed through the tears threatening to fall.

"Stop what?" Tommy asked amusedly.

"Being so perfect." I sighed.

Tommy leaned up and took me with him. I sat up on his lap to allow him to fall back on his elbows. He shook his head and looked away. "Trust me Jude, I'm far from perfect."

"So am I, but that's okay. Half the reason I love you so much is because of your imperfections." He looked back at me and his eyes were turning a shade of blue that I had come to recognize as very rare. Sitting up all the way, he pulled me flush against him and captured my lips in a mind blowing kiss.

I was slightly dazed when we broke apart. "Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?"

Tommy brought his hands to either side of my face, cupping it. "No one has ever, and I mean _ever_, told me that before." His eyes sparkled with emotion and I could feel the butterflies ramming into my insides. "Nobody has ever loved my imperfections, and I guess I just wanted to show you that I appreciate it."

"You're welcome Quincy." I kissed him once more before pushing him back down so I could lie on top of him again.

Our bodies molded into one another and I felt the happiest I've been in, well, ever. But the familiar feeling of panic bubbled up once I started thinking again. I propped myself up once more and seeing the worry on my face, Tommy became concerned. "What is it Harrison?"

"Well, I was just thinking…" _Jude, just spit it out._ "What's going to happen once we go back?"

With the serious turn in conversation, he grabbed one of my hands and laced our fingers. "Don't go thinking that I'm going to abandon you as soon as we get back, because I won't. We're going to get through this together, alright?" His eyes searched mine for reassurance.

I relaxed and said, "Alright."

Tommy started stroking my hair again as I resumed my position against him. His voice became huskier with exhaustion as he spoke. "Let's just enjoy the time we have here until we have to go back to reality. We'll cross all those bridges once we come to them." He pulled me closer and whispered one last sentence as the lure of sleep began to take its hold on the both of us. "I just want this moment to last forever." I smiled as I heard his soft snoring soon after.

The last thing I remember thinking before I drifted peacefully off to sleep was, _Tom Quincy, you're going to be the death of me. Just don't let me down._

Although I still had my doubts I pushed them all aside because in my heart I knew that together we could get through anything.


End file.
